This week in Santa Cruz County business: Canned cocktail company eyes expansion, tech titan’s 'Remarkable' new book and a slew of openings and closures

Quick Take

In this week's look at the local business scene, Jessica M. Pasko spotlights West Peak's sparkling spirits, catches up with Santa Cruzan Guy Kawasaki ahead of a Bookshop event showcasing his latest work and rounds up other news, notes and numbers.

Each week, we’ll be taking a closer look at the movers and shakers, the growth of industries, and what’s really driving the Santa Cruz County economy. I’ll be spotlighting some of the biggest areas for opportunity, updates on local development and all things underpinning the regional business scene each Wednesday.

Got ideas? Send them my way to news@lookoutlocal.com with “Business News” in the subject line.

Santa Cruz-based West Peak takes on canned cocktail market with new line

If you’re looking for a canned beverage that isn’t a beer or hard cider, the market today is your oyster. One of the biggest growing subsectors within the beverage industry is the ready-to-drink cocktail category, which grew 61% between 2020 and 2022, driven in part by changing consumer behavior brought on by the pandemic. Consumers want a craft cocktail, but they want it in the convenience of their own home.

That sparked the idea for Santa Cruz natives Jamie and Nick Sanyal to launch West Peak sparkling spirits, which hit store shelves in November 2022. The company has now grown to nine full-time employees, with a line of four flavors of canned cocktails sold throughout California and in Colorado.

A veteran of the natural foods industry, Nick Sanyal had tried numerous available hard seltzers and similar beverages, but none really hit the spot for him. He also thought their design and branding was lacking some of the fun he saw in the craft beer space. By spring of 2021, he was formulating drink recipes at the family’s kitchen table.

“The idea was, ‘Let’s approach this category from the perspective of a complex adult beverage and then make a seltzer-like, lighter-offering version of it,’ rather than that kind of one-note flavor (like black cherry and mango) that was out there in the market,” he said.

Eventually, the Sanyals landed on successful recipes, found a production partner and started getting their cans in people’s hands – and store shelves. A sponsorship with the O’Neill Cold Water Classic in fall 2022 proved a fast way to get people trying their drinks, and they were pretty sure they had a hit on their hands.

Flash-forward to now and the company has now expanded up and down California, with additional stores in Colorado. Soon, West Peak will move its production from Wisconsin to the East Bay, to be closer to its headquarters in Santa Cruz’s Sash Mill complex.

Tech veteran’s new book offers guidance for business – and life – through the lens of some of the world’s greatest thinkers

Guy Kawasaki has pretty much seen it all when it comes to the tech scene – but he’s not done exploring. Through his podcast, “Remarkable People,” he has interviewed some of the biggest names in the world – everyone from Jane Goodall to Stacey Abrams and Steve Wozniak. Now, he’s compiled some of his favorite interviews into a new book titled “Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.”

Kawasaki has been doing the podcast for over four years, collecting interviews with some of the most eclectic and influential thinkers in the world. Inspired by those conversations, he sought a new way to bring these conversations to a wider audience.

“This book is basically drawing the best out of all of those interviews, plus my 40 years in business,” said Kawasaki. “It’s really meant as a tactical and practical guide, particularly for young people. It’s kind of like ‘The Four Agreements‘ brought up to the 21st century, if you will,” he said. (The Four Agreements is a best-seller by Toltec shaman don Miguel Ruiz that presents four principles for a better life.)

Kawasaki, a Santa Cruz County resident for the past 10 years, was part of the team at Apple that marketed the Macintosh computer in the 1980s, and served as the company’s chief evangelist for four years. He spent the next few decades working for different tech companies, establishing his writing and speaking career, and co-founding a venture capital firm. Since 2014, he’s served as chief evangelist for Canva, provider of an online graphic design tool.

This is his 16th book, but unlike the previous ones he’s published, he’s more of the architect of this one as opposed to the narrator, he explained. This one was written with his podcast producer, Madisun Nuismer; Goodall provides the foreward.

In speaking with leaders from all industries, he said one thing that has really resonated is what he sees as three stages of growth and development: the growth stage, the grit stage, and the grace stage. These are the three key themes of the book, which can be applied to business, personal development, professional development and more. It includes lessons on how to build the right mindset for professional and personal success, drawing from real-world examples from Kawasaki’s own life as well as those of his podcast guests. It showcases some of the parallels in terms of personality traits and choices exhibited by these “remarkable thinkers,” offering insight on how almost anyone can learn from these examples.

“I want readers to take away a very practical and tactical sort of manual for life. I hope parents will buy it for their children,” he said. “There’s a lot of good news and bad news now; there are unlimited sources of information. There are unlimited people who are trying to be influencers and persuaders and visionaries and thought leaders … it’s kind of an overload. And if that wasn’t bad enough, then you throw AI on top of this. It’s a very busy world right now. I hope people will appreciate that I cut through a lot of b.s. to get to just the muscle here. And that’s probably the greatest service we provide.”

Kawasaki will speak about the book (and sign copies) at Bookshop Santa Cruz at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 4. Details and registration for the free event are here. He’ll also be signing copies at Santa Cruz Works’ upcoming “Remarkable AI” event on Wednesday, March 13.

Ch-ch-changes: Openings, closings and other developments

New Bohemian Brewing Company shutters: After almost nine years in business, New Bohemian Brewing Company poured its last beer at its 41st Avenue taproom and brewery this past weekend. In a social media post, owner Dan Sattherthwaite cited the ongoing challenges of doing business and the desire to spend more time with his family.
SHEF closes its doors: Watsonville-based vintage cookware and houseware store SHEF has closed after 2½ years, although items are still available for sale online. The business was owned by Jennifer Santillana, sister of Tabitha Stroup, who runs Friend in Cheeses Jam Company.
Watsonville Public House opens at 625 Main St.: Robby Olson and Jenni Veitch-Olson have opened their new brewery, taproom and community gathering spot near the Tamal Factory in Watsonville. Current hours are Thursdays 4-8 p.m., Fridays 2-8 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 8 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
Joby Aviation completes third of five stages of FAA type certification: Joby Aviation is moving closer to being able to commercially operate air taxis in the U.S., becoming the first electric vertical takeoff and landing company to complete the third of five stages of Federal Aviation Administration certification. Joby had to submit certification plans that cover all of the aircraft’s structural, mechanical, and electrical systems, as well as their approach to cybersecurity, noise, etc. As Christopher Neeley reported this week, the Santa Cruz City Council considered Tuesday whether to greenlight a $500,000 forgivable loan for the company in exchange for adding hundreds of new jobs locally – a proposal the council passed.
Driscoll’s takes partial ownership of Australian produce company: Along with partners, Driscoll’s has taken a significant stake in a leading Australian grower, packer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables. Costa Group began in the late 1800s, and its production and growing operations now span Australia, China, Morocco and southern Africa, with a special focus on blueberries. The purchase by Driscoll’s and its partners will give the Watsonville-headquartered berry company a bigger global footprint.

Got hires, promotions or departures to report? Send them to news@lookoutlocal.com with the subject line “Career changes.”

Looking at the numbers

$158,727: That’s the new maximum penalty for “willful and repeat” violations of the state’s workplace health and safety regulations, up from $153,744. The state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has raised penalties for certain violations to adjust for inflation. Repeat violations occur when an employer is cited for the same violation it had previously been cited for; willful violations are those where evidence shows the employer committed an intentional violation.
Over $12,600: That’s the amount of money Bay Federal Credit Union raised for the United Way of Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties through its January workplace campaign. The credit union has held a fundraising campaign for the organization for nearly three decades.

Save the date

Monday, March 4: Apple alum, Watsonville resident and current Canva chief evangelist Guy Kawasaki has a new book out called, “Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.” He’ll be speaking about it (and signing copies) at Bookshop Santa Cruz at 7 p.m. Details and registration for the free event are here.
Wednesday, March 13: Santa Cruz Works hosts “Remarkable AI,” featuring a book-signing with Guy Kawasaki (see previous item) and presentations from industry leaders focused on emerging artificial intelligence technology. The event takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cocoanut Grove at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Tickets range from $20-$50. More details, and registration, are here.
Thursday, March 21: The Pajaro Valley and Aptos chambers of commerce will host a joint mixer at California Coffee at 9105 Soquel Dr. in Aptos with live music, beer, wine, coffee and appetizers. The event goes from 5 to 7 p.m. and costs $5 to attend.
Thursday, April 11: The Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce will host its annual event honoring individuals, businesses and organizations for their contributions to the community. “A Night of Stars” takes place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Cocoanut Grove Ballroom at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Register here.

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